A Penny For Your Thoughts
by Pastapox
Summary: Lovino Vargas, or Romano, has always felt out of place and a burden on the world. From countless slip ups to being out-staged by his younger brother, he has had enough with this life. That is, until a stupid trip to the Fair with the "tomato jerk" causes Romano to meet someone that just might save him from this misery.
1. Chapter 1

**note: Hello Hetalia fans! This is an OCxRomano story that I thought of while listening to a certain song that will be revealed much later in the fanfic. I've been wanting to write this for forever and I finally found the motivation to do so. I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it, because after all, Romano is my absolute favorite character. So I will try to update as quickly as I can, but with school drawing to a close, that means I'll have exams and no time to write. It will be a struggle...other than that, enjoy!**

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**Romano**

_No more pain. No more lies. No more screw ups. No more second place. No more disappointment. No more life. No more me._

The pencil in my hand scrawls across the lined paper in front of me, leaving behind chicken scratch words printed onto it. I've been working on this letter all morning, trying to perfect my writing to its finest. A pile of crumpled papers near my trashcan is proof that I've had to start over too many times already. All I need are a few simple sentences, but _nothing_ seems to come out right. Every time I _do_ get a thought down, it's always too mushy and doesn't sound like something I would say. I can't make it look like I actually care for them. None of them ever show signs of loving me. Why the hell should I give them the satisfaction of affection?

"Oh Romano!" The damn Spaniard's voice drifts through the door to my room, followed by a few quick knocks.

"Shit." I mumble under my breath. Shoving the paper into my jean pocket, I roll down the sleeves of my shirt to hide the damage that had been done on my wrists last night. "What the hell do you want?"

"You promised to come with me to the Summer Fair today!" he says, swinging opening my door with a bang. The smile he wears on his face just makes me want to slap him. How can one guy be so cheery?

"I never said that." I argue.

"Yes you did." he replies as I glare daggers at him. "Oh come on Romano, it will be fun!" Antonio puts on his infamous puppy dog face and stares at me with wide green eyes, begging silently. I absolutely hate it when he does that. Groaning, I shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose with annoyance. _This isn't really my idea of a _good_ last day, but if it will make the bastard happy…_

"Ok fine." I grumble, "But just for a lit-HEY GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" I shove Antonio away as he tries to tackle me in a hug. This causes him to laugh as he ruffles my hair.

"Just come out when you're ready, okay?" he sings and glides out the door, not bothering to shut it behind him. Sighing deeply, I stand up from my desk and push in the chair. I run a hand through my thick hair and glance at the mirror hanging from the bathroom wall. It's the same old brown hair, hazel eyes, olive skin, and don't forget the stubborn curl on the right of my head. _I look just like my idiot brother, but somehow he is still better than me. Why does he get so many friends? Why does he have the better personality? Why the hell does he get all of the talent?_

"What the fuck is wrong with me?!" I slam my fist against the wall to my right, rattling the pictures that hang above me. One falls to the floor, hitting the desk on the way down and shattering the glass and frame.

"Are you ok Romano?" Antonio yells from deeper within the apartment.

"I'm just fine!" I yell back. The knuckles on my hand sting when I flex them, but it doesn't even make me flinch. My eyes leave the mirror finally and I glance to one of my desk drawers. Every one of my muscles is screaming for me to open it, but I know that's saved for later. _After today, I'll finally be free._ Grabbing a jacket off my messy bed, I stomp out the door and into the hallway. "Hurry up and get the car started, you jerk!"

"Alright, alright I'm going." Antonio says, walking out of the kitchen with two tomatoes in his hand. He tosses one to me and I gladly bite into it. This is the only thing that brings me the slightest of joy. I'd probably enjoy them _more_ if that bastard wasn't the one to have harvested them. I still question why I even decided to live with him in the first place if I hate him so much.

"Let's go!" he grins, biting into the other one and causing red juice to drip down his chin, which he wipes off with his sleeve. I follow him down the stairs and into the garage where his bright red sports car is waiting for us. Hopping into the passenger side and I stare out the window as he backs into the street.

"Oh _mi amigo_, I forgot to tell you something." Antonio breaks the silence between us.

"Yeah? Well, spit it out."

"We are meeting Francis and Gilbert there too." I almost choke on my tomato.

"Why the hell are we meeting them?! You go partying with those bastards almost every night!" I smack my forehead and groan again. "I should have never agreed to come with you."

"Cheer up Romano," he tells me, "We're just going to have a little fun."

"Yeah, and by fun you mean hit on every_ ragazza_ within a five mile radius." I grumble and cross my arms. Since I refuse to continue a conversation with him, Antonio reaches over and turns on the radio. Of course it's on the fucking Spanish channel and he starts to sing along.

"Turn that shit off! It's annoying." I say and go to switch the channel, but Antonio smacks my hand away.

"_I'm_ the driver, so _I_ get to choose the music." he states. "You can listen to _your_ crap, when _you_ are driving."

"But you never let me drive."

"Ah Romano, that is because you are not very good at it, si?" Antonio says, and turns up the music louder. _Oh, he _really_ loves to see me angry, doesn't he?_

I slump down lower into my seat as we near downtown. Antonio finally turns off his so called "music" and rolls down the windows to let in the obnoxious carnival songs, along with the screams and whines of children of every age. He weaves in and out of the parking lots until he finally stops in one of the furthest spots possible. Jumping out of the car, he looks around for his friends.

"Hey! There they are!" Antonio spots Gilbert and Francis getting out of their car and he waves them over. They both give him the "sup" nod, and head towards us.

The three call themselves the Bad Touch Trio, and if you knew them, you would understand why. They go out "to have fun" every damn night, which always results in Antonio coming home drunk, and let me tell you, he's pretty scary when he is. Then the other two end up making-out with some girl they brought with them in the other bedroom, and _then_ they pass out right next to the tomato-loving bastard. For a group that's older than me, they sure do act childish. I always have to be the one who hands the three a glass of water and pain killers in the morning. It's like I'm their fucking maid or something. They also try to get me to join them some of the nights, but I refuse. Been there, done that. Not doing it again.

"Bonjour!" the Frenchman greets, flipping his long blond locks and making a group of girls behind him giggle. He turns around and blows them a kiss, sending them swooning.

"Keseseses! I didn't know that _you_ would be joining us, Romano!" The albino slings an arm around my shoulder the moment I step out of the car. Did I mention that he has a _really_ annoying laugh?

"Don't touch me, bastard." I curse and brush his hand off.

"Why do you have to be in a sour mood, _mon ami_?"

"Si, Romano. Don't be so grumpy."

"Hmph." I cross my arms and pout, probably making me look like a small child. The trio looks at me with confusion. "Are you guys going to stare at me all day or are we gonna walk around?" After a moment, they all shrug and walk off to the nearest tent set up. Of course, this one is being run by the same group of girls that Francis was checking out before. I follow a few paces behind the group and sigh.

"Here we go again."

-xxx-

_No more pain. No more lies. No more screw ups. No more second place. No more dis-_

"Romano~!"

"Fuck." Here comes my idiot brother, running past groups of people with his eyes closed and that same old stupid grin on his face. I forgot that he had his own tent for the fair this week. Had I'd remember, I would have been a little stealthier walking around.

I'd also lost the trio an hour ago after they started talking with yet another girl. Hell, those three have been flirting with anything that has two legs and a chest all day long. I turn my head for one minute, and BAM, they're gone. I never knew how hard it was to find someone in this sort of crowd, and it's not even that large of a fair ground. It's almost like I'm babysitting them. How pathetic am I to actually do it.

"Romano! I haven't see you in forever~!" Feliciano tackles me as soon as I am in range.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO HUG ME!" I shove him off hard and he stumbles back, almost landing on the in the grass. I earn a few looks from the people around us, but I ignore them. "AND I JUST SAW YOU YESTERDAY!" That's the thing with my brother. He never respects my personal space. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've asked to keep his distance. Oh, but he stays away from his Japanese friend from school when_ he_ tells him to. Why the hell can't my brother do the same for me?

"I'm so happy you came!" Feli says, practically bouncing where he stands. "I want to show you all the paintings I've done. Come on!" He grabs my wrist and I wince slightly from his tight grip. _It's a good thing I wore long sleeves today._

"Hey, let go! I don't need you to lead me!" I say, but he's off in his own little world, singing along to the music that swirls around us.

Our relationship is complicated. Ever since I can remember, my brother and I have lived in this giant mansion with our Grandpa to look after us. The place was absolutely beautiful, and I loved everything about it, from the white marble floors, to the exquisite food we were served. But naturally, Feli was picked as the "favorite" child by Grandpa. All his life, he was basically pampered and given everything he wanted, while I was stuck doing chores with the housekeepers. Grandpa liked him because he inherited his looks, talent, and the absolutely perfect personality. Everyone in the house adored him, and then saw me as imperfect and flawed. That I was too rebellious and never listened to anyone.

_ "__You should be more like your brother, Romano."_ they'd tell me. Hell, I still get that shit from people now a days. So right after the end of last year I packed up everything I have and moved in with Antonio, who is the only person I might consider as a friend. He has his own house on the other end of the town.

Finally, after what seems like a lifetime of being hulled past tents, we arrive at his. I rip my arm out of his grasp and rub my wrist gently. Feli has all of his paintings hung on some sort of metal mesh walls that box in under the tent. In one of the corners, he has an easel set up with a canvas and paint sitting on the chair next to it.

"Well, what do you think, Romano?" he asks me and I glance at each of the pieces carefully. One I recognize as a swing from our Grandpa's garden. We used to sit on it all the time and see how high we could get it to go. Another is the entire front of the mansion in broad daylight. But the painting that catches my eye the most, however, is where a young child is standing on his tiptoes in the kitchen, trying to desperately to reach a basket of tomatoes on the counter. I frown instantly when I recognize that it's me. And I'd hate to admit it, but they're all beautiful. He's caught every inch of detail perfectly and didn't leave out anything. It makes me angry that he's so good at painting. _He fucking gets all the talent._

"They're great." I reply flatly.

"Really? I'm so glad you like them~!"

"Yeah, can I go now? I have to look for Antonio and his idiot friends. I lost track of them a while ago and I gotta make sure they're staying out of trouble."

"Well why didn't you say so? I saw them walk over there a few minutes ago!" Feli says and points over to the left, near where the food stands are set up.

"Thanks for telling me earlier." I mumble and glide out from underneath the tent towards where he showed me.

"See you later, Romano~!" he calls to me. I walk away for a few minutes, then stop and look around. _Where the hell are those bastards?_ A squeal comes from behind me and I turn to find all three chatting it up with yet another person of the opposite sex. After a moment, the girl slaps Francis in the face and stomps away, leaving the other two laughing. I shake my head disapprovingly and walk over. _That bastard will never learn._

"That _fille_ sure knows how to hit." Francis complains, rubbing his cheek.

"Then maybe you should learn to be a gentleman." I snort.

"Ah Romano!" Antonio says as I approach them, "I was wondering where you were."

"I was visiting my idiot brother."

"Your brother is here?"

"Yes." I growl. "Unfortunately he _is_."

"Keseseses, hey guys. Check out that _frau_ over there!" Gilbert butts in, nodding his head in the direction of a booth where a girl is sitting.

"Oh la la. She's _tres belle_."

"_Si_, she is"

"Great. Why don't you all go flirt with her?" I roll my eyes.

"Nah, the awesome me thinks _you_ should take her!" Gilbert says, grinning.

"_Oui._" Francis agrees and my eyes widen.

"What?! No way!" I cross my arms in protest. This always happens whenever I'm stuck tagging along with the trio. They just seem to get a real kick out of setting me up with all types of girls. But what's the use? Once they meet my brother, they will be all over him in an instant and leave me in the dust. The trio should have realized this by now.

"There's another person sitting with her anyways." I point out.

"Then wait for the other to leave!" Antonio suggests.

"There's no way that I'm-"

"Look!" Francis leans and elbow on me and points, "The other girl is getting up. Now's your chance!" Before I can argue anymore, two arms forcefully shove me from behind, making me stumble forward and almost do a face plant in the dirt.

"Go get her, Romano!" Antonio calls. Cursing under my breath, I find myself walking up to the small booth with the sign _A Penny for your Thoughts_, and a girl who's probably just like every other.

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_Change due: 0 cents_


	2. Chapter 2

**note: Hey! This fanfic will be changing point of views every other chapter so I hope that doesn't bother you too much. I just really like getting Romano's and my OC's thoughts without having to do third person. Enjoy the chapter and let me know if you like it!**

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**Marley**

It's unusually cool for a summer day if you ask me. The temperature hangs around the mid-70s, and a cold wind from the north makes sitting in the shade absolutely unbearable. Luckily, where I'm sitting is right smack in the middle of the warm sun shine. Sure the air does keep the bugs at bay, but that still doesn't make me want to be stuck here right now.

All this week is our town's annual Beginning-of-Summer Festival, which is normally celebrated with food, carnival music, rides, and those rigged games with the brightly colored stuffed animals that you can never win. Sadly, I'm not here to spend my money and walk around. My mother is the reason I am here, actually. She loves to sign me up for different things, without my permission, that will supposedly look "good" on a collage application.

"All collages love to see community service." she tells me. This time, I'm sitting on one side of a wooden booth with the words_ A Penny for your Thoughts_ painted on the front in big red letters. It's supposed to be for some new local group that promotes releasing anything that's on your mind. All you do is put a penny in the jar and share your problems with the person sitting opposite, aka _me_. I'd really rather be sitting at home and reading or writing. So far today, I've had about three girls come up to me saying how their boyfriends "don't understand" them.

"I think I'm losing him to another!" one of them wails from the chair in front of me. I push a box of tissues that I brought with me towards her. _I had a feeling that something like this would happen. _ She reaches to one and presses it under her eyes, wiping up all of the mascara globs that have streaked across her cheeks. I never understand why girls wear so much anyway.

"Are you sure he likes someone else?" I ask softly.

"I saw him yesterday with this other girl from our school and I just know that he was flirting with her!" She breaks into more sobs and I shift in my seat. Helping people out is my specialty, but it's kind of hard to give advice about guys when I myself have never had a boyfriend.

"Maybe you need to talk to him about it. Or maybe think about seeing other guys." I suggest and she perks up in the seat at my words.

"That's genius." she whispers, "I can start seeing other guys to make him jealous!"

"Uh, no that's not really what I meant..."

"Oh thank you!" she squeals and runs around the booth to give me a tight hug. I pat her back awkwardly until she releases me from her death grip. Slipping a penny into the jar, she turns to me and leans in with a grin spread across her face.

"I'll be back to tell you how it goes!" She winks and slips off in the direction of a group of guys.

"Oh you don't really have to…" I say, but she is already gone from sight. I sigh deeply and grab the jar sitting on my right. Tipping it, the very few pennies I've received slide down and clank when they hit the bottom. _I really hope that not all of my clients will be girls with boyfriend problems. I don't really know what to tell them since I've never really had a boyfriend myself._

"I wish I wasn't here." I grumble. "I've never been good with strangers."Sighing, I stare down at my wore-out converse that are molded onto my feet. _When was the last time I bought new shoes? Oh that's right. I was with my cousin when I tripped and knocked over the sales rack._ Just thinking about that memory brings blush to my cheeks.

The sound of someone clearing their throat snaps me back to reality and I look up to my next visitor. My eyes are greeted by a frown. A frown with gorgeous deep carmel eyes that is. The guy is about my age, or maybe a little older. His hair is a dark brown with bangs that hang dangerously close to his eyes, and one single piece strand of hair that defies gravity. It sticks up to the left side of his head, making a large curl. Arms crossed on his chest, he gives off the "do not disturb" vibe. He glances over me once with little interest on his face before finally speaking.

"Ciao." he says in a thick Italian accent.

"Uh hi." I say, still gawking at the guy's perfect and utterly flawless olive skin. He raises an eyebrow at me, suspiciously.

"What the hell are you staring at me for _ragazza_?" he snaps harshly and I jump in my seat. _Whoa this guy has an attitude._

"Nothing!" I squeak.

"Don't stare at me."

"I wasn't staring." I lie and decide to change the subject quickly, "Uh why did you sit down here?"

"My idiot friends made me."

"Oh. So you have nothing to talk about?"

"Not really." he shakes his head slightly, making the curl in his hair bounce. _I wonder what makes it stick up like that. Does he use gel on it? Or is it just naturally like that? I've seen many guys with wacky hairstyles, but _this_ is very unique._

"_Oi ragazza_!" The guy leans forward onto the table and snaps his fingers near my face. "You're staring at me again."

"What? Oh, sorry." My cheeks burn slightly from being caught in the act once again. "I was just curious about your hair curl…" His eyes drift up to look at his hair abnormality and I almost slap myself. _Asking about hair? How weird can I get?_

"Yeah my brother and I both have one. It kinda runs in our family." he grumbles.

"So it just…sticks up like that normally? That's so weird."

"Yeah, you don't even know the worst part." he looks away, blushing. "I can't have anyone touch it."

"Why not?"

"I'd rather not say." he mumbles.

"Oh..." My eyes drift down to my hands in my lap and I sigh quietly. I wish I could talk to people easier because this guy is really cute. "So um…you said your friends made you sit here?"

"I wouldn't really call _those_ bastards my friends." Looking over his shoulder, he points to a group of three guys not far from where we are sitting. One, from what I can see, looks Spanish with brown hair and a bright smiling face. Next to him was an albino who is laughing quite loudly, and he slaps the back of the last guy with long and wavy blond locks. The Spanish guy glances over and nudges the others until they're all staring back at me. All three of them blow me a kiss and I look down quickly, embarrassed.

"Jerks." he grumbles and stands up. "I should probably get back to keep them out of trouble." A hand jams into his pocket and he pulls out a crumpled dollar bill. Stuffing it in the jar, he waves a hand goodbye.

"You know you only have to put a penny in." I inform him.

"I only have a dollar." he shrugs, "Plus you deserve it after having to deal with _me_." Turning around, he begins to walk away.

"Uh wait!" I call out maybe a little too desperately.

"What _ragazza_?"

"You have 99 free visits left then, because a dollar has 100 pennies and you just used one visit, and I don't want you to waste your money…" My voice trails off and I bite my lip nervously. He looks at me with the weirdest expression on his face.

"You don't mind me talking to you?" His question takes me back a bit.

"Well of course not. It was actually really nice talking to you." I assure him. His mouth opens as if to say something but it closes shut again, and with that he walks away while mumbling something to himself. I watch as he meets up with his "friends" and proceeds to yell at all three of them. A blush creeps onto my cheeks as I watch them disappear into the crowd. _What an odd guy. Too bad that I didn't get his name._

_._

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_._

_Change due: 99 cents_


	3. Chapter 3

**note: Ok, so just a warning to all of you, this chapter has self-harm in it. I don't know how strong your stomachs are, or if it will be any sort of trigger...I tried not to make it too graphic. But just in case, the chapter starts out with it right away. On a happier note, I just took my AP exam today which means I won't have that class holding me back from my writing. Good luck to all of you if you have finals soon or AP tests, or just good luck in school. Enjoy the chapter!**

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**Romano**

I furiously wipe away the tears streaking my cheeks with my hand, but being stupid me, I forget about the other liquid that occupies my fingers. So now my face drips with a mixture of water and crimson red blood. Picking up the razor blade once again, I let out an angry scream.

_One for my brother._

_Three for Antonio and his stupid friends._

The blood runs from my wrist freely, splattering into the bathroom sink that I lean over. I clench my teeth together and grip the edge of the counter as more tears run from my eyes.

_Another._

_And another._

"I hate this so much." I whisper in between sobs. "I hate being flawed and always being upstaged by Feli and…and…FUCK IT ALL!" My fist comes down on the counter and a pain shoots through my hand. I stand there for a moment, arms shaking and breathing heavily. The blood has gotten all over the sink and I flip on the water to wash it all down. _Antonio will be happy that he doesn't have to clean this up himself._ I wait until all of the crimson red is gone from my wrists to turn off the sink. Glancing up at the mirror, I look at my wet face and the puffy blotches around my eyes.

"This is it." I sigh, wiping the blood off my cheek with a finger. "I'm done." Numbly, I switch the bathroom light off and walk over to my desk. Finally, I open the bottom drawer and pull out the hand gun I've had stashed away for who knows how long. I can still remember the day when Grandpa showed it to me. He said that it was only used for self-defense when home alone. _Guess he doesn't know it's missing._ Holding the cold object in my hand, I use my other to rip out the letter I wrote this morning and scan over the writing once more. _It's as good as it's going to get._ I flatten out the paper and set it on the desk. My whole arm shakes as I raise the gun to the side of my head.

_This is it._

_All I've been waiting for._

My finger tenses near the trigger and my eyes flutter shut. A feeling washes over me, one that I've never felt before. I feel calm, like nothing can touch me. Nothing can get to me anymore. No one will miss me. I'll just fade away from the world and everyone will go on with their daily lives without me. I won't affect them.

_No more pain. No more lies. No more idiot brother. No more screw ups. No more second place. No more disappointment. No more life. No more me….._

_No more of that ragazza either._

My eyes snap open and widen at the sudden thought of her. A breath catches in my throat as the realization of what I'm about to do hits me. Fingers shaking, the gun slips out from between them and crashes to the ground, hitting the picture frame I had broken earlier this morning. My breathing becomes rapid again and my legs give way, forcing me to sit on the edge of the bed. _What's wrong with me? I was completely calm and ready a second ago. What the hell went wrong?_

The girl's face flashes through my mind again and a sensation rises in my stomach, causing my face to heat up. _Maybe I should go back and see her. She seemed really shy, but nice…Even when I snapped at her for staring at me. I wonder why she did that._

My eyes travel down to the floor and rest on the picture. It's faded slightly, but you can clearly see that it's of Feli and me. His arm is draped around my shoulder, ginning cheerfully, while I pout and turn away from the camera. Looking at that picture usually makes me mad, but my angry has seemed to slip away from me, and all I feel now is exhaustion.

"I guess today _isn't_ the day." I mutter, picking up the gun and letter, and shoving them into the desk drawer. _I'm actually kind of disappointed. I was so ready to leave._ "I need sleep."

Collapsing back onto the bed, I shut my eyes tightly and let out a sigh I've been holding in for what seems like forever. _I hope that this is a sign…maybe the world's not ready to get rid of me yet._ Turning over to my side, I let the numbness of sleep wash over me and fade into the dark. The last image to flash in my mind is the girl at the booth.

-xxx-

"Holy fuck it's hot out." I complain as I stride down the paved streets of down town. It sucks that I have to wear a long-sleeved shirt again today, but my wrists haven't healed from last night, and if I run into anyone I know, I don't need them asking questions.

The sounds of screams and laughs get louder as I near the park where the Fair is being held all week. _Why the hell are there so many people here? It's fucking 95 degrees today! Go home and relax in your air conditioning you bastards!_ I get to the edge of the crowd and begin to push past people, their sweaty bodies brushing up against mine. A few kids almost trip me as the run past my feet and I swear some fatty just got pizza sauce on my shirt. I curse under my breath. The air feels suffocating around me and I choke to get oxygen before finally making it out of the mob. After a moment of catching my breath, I stand up straight and crane my head in all directions.

"Alright, where are you?" I squint my eyes to see better and spot the booth about 20 yards away, with the girl from yesterday sitting behind it. Suddenly I feel nervous and turn my head away. I decide to stall time by buying a water and sitting down at one of the vacant picnic tables, with her still in eyesight. _I was alright with coming down here this morning. What the hell am I so nervous for?_ I take a drink of water and glance over in her direction again. She has her head resting on a hand with a dreamy expression across her face. I watch her eyes sweep the crowd lazily until they meet mine and they widen. She sits up and waves slightly.

"Shit." I mumble, "Now I _have_ to go and talk to her." Running a hand through my hair, I stand up and make my way over to the booth. _What the hell am I doing?_

"Welcome back." she says as I take the seat opposite from her. "To be honest, I'm kind of surprised to see you again."

"I'm kinda surprised too."

"And I didn't catch your name before…"

I hesitate a moment before answering her. "Lovino Vargas."

"Marley Brown." She extends a hand, which I shake. _Nice name._

"But everyone calls me Romano."

"Why's that?" Her head cocks to the side.

"My Grandpa gave me that nickname when I was little and one time someone heard him call me that, so it just stuck with me." I pause for a moment, "It's Italian for _Roman_."

"Italian huh?"

"Yeah I'm Italian. If you haven't already noticed the accent."

A smile tugs at her lips. "Yes, I've noticed. I think it's really cool sounding. There aren't very many Italians around here."

"Yeah but there sure are a lot of different people." _Like the Spanish bastard, potato bastard, potato bastard's brother…_

"That's probably why I love going to school here so much. I get to listen to everyone's accents." she says sheepishly and I blink at her. _She's goes to this town's high school? Why haven't I seen her before?_

"You go to this school?"

"Yeah I do, and I'm a senior too." she tells me. My mouth hangs open slightly and I stare at her. _She's even in the same grade as me and I've never known she exists?_

"I'm a senior here too. How come I haven't met you before?"

"I don't know." she shrugs, "I'm usually pretty quiet so it's not surprising that we don't know each other. I just kind of keep to myself.." Marley's voice trails off as her eyes drift around, then look down to her lap. Thank god she isn't like those girls who throw themselves at every guy they see. Though, she doesn't look like she would do that anyway. Her chestnut hair is up in a messy ponytail, with her wavy bangs spilling in her emerald eyes. There are freckles that sweep across her pale cheeks and mousy nose, and her lips are a soft pink color. A few rosy pimples dot her face and forehead, but there is no trace of makeup trying to hide it. She doesn't need it anyway. Everyone gets pimples so why cover them up?

"So why are you running this booth?" I ask her and take a swig of my water. "You don't seem like the type of _ragazza_ to do something like this." I raise my eyebrow at her when I notice she's starring longingly at the bottle. "Do you want some?"

"Huh?" She shifts in her seat and looks up at me. "Oh no. It's ok."

"No really, you should drink some. Keep hydrated and all that shit." I pass it over to Marley. Wiping the top off with the edge of her shirt, she takes a huge drink.

"_Oi ragazza_ not all of it!"

"Heh sorry." she says innocently. "I guess I was a little thirsty after all."

"It's fine." I assure her. "So back to my question…"

"Oh yeah. My mother signed me up to work here so I could meet new people and make friends." She takes another drink, this one much smaller than the other.

"That sucks. And hey, can I have my water back?" She nods and as I open my mouth to ask another question, my heart stops when I hear the unmistakable laugh of the obnoxious French jerk and an annoying German. I whip my head around to see that my suspicions were correct and I see Francis and Gilbert walking near the booth. "On second thought, you can keep it. I have to go."

"You sure?" Marley asks when I stand up to leave. _If they see me, I'll never hear the end of how they "found me a girl". Though I wish I didn't have to leave so soon. I kind of enjoy her company._

"Yeah!" I call over my shoulder and walk faster, hoping to slip by without being spotted. _Please don't see me. Please don't see me. Please don't-_

"Ciao Romano~!"

"Huh?" I was so concentrated on avoiding the bastards that I didn't even notice my feet carry me into my own brother's tent. _Today just went downhill really fast._

"What are you doing here, _fratello_?" Stepping out from behind the easel, Feli sets down his paintbrush and wipes his dirty hands on the colorful apron he is wearing. That idiot managed to get paint all over his face and up his arms.

"Uh nothing. I'm not doing anything." I reply quickly, watching Francis and Gilbert pass by without noticing me at all.

"I saw you talking to that _bella ragazza_ over there!" he exclaims with a huge grin, nodding towards where Marley is sitting.

"Yeah so? Is there a _problem_ with me talking to a pretty girl?"

"Oh so you think she's pretty?"

"Wh-what?" My eyes widen and I can feel my face heat up. "W-well y-yeah I guess."

"Is she your girlfriend then?"

"No of course not!"

"Aw~! Romano's got a girlfriend!" Feli yells for the whole world to hear.

"HEY MORON, NOT SO LOUD!" I clamp a hand over his mouth to shut him up. "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND OK?!" He gives a whimper and nods so that I know he understands. I release his face and run a hand through my hair, avoiding my precious curl. A smile regrows onto Feli's face.

"I'm leaving." I grumble and stuff my hands into my pockets, shuffling away from my _idiota_ brother.

"Wait! I have a favor to ask you!" he calls out. I really should just keep walking, knowing that I will regret it later, but for some reason I don't and wheel back around to face him.

"This better be worth my time."

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_Change due: 98 cents_


	4. Chapter 4

**note: Hello, sorry for making you wait, but it's the end of the school year for me so i really dont have time to write. Summer is coming though and i'm super excited and will be able to update quicker. I'm glad some of you people like my story, and dont forget to send me a review. I love hearing feedback! Ciao!**

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**Marley**

"This is so awkward." I mumble. I'm sitting at the booth for the third day in a row, and no one has come up yet, so in my mind I look absolutely stupid. Who wants to sit and talk with a socially-awkward teenager when they could walk around and have fun? I guess now I'm a little curious to see what's in all of the tents. The last time I went to a Fair was when I was with my dad at the age of eight.

_You know what? Maybe I'll just go on a "lunch" break._ Reaching into my bag, I pull out a piece of paper and a pencil, and scribble the words "Out for lunch" on it. I fold the sign in half so that it can stand, and place it on the table.

"There. I'll just be gone for a little while." Pushing in the chair, I walk off towards the group of tents that stand crowded with people of every size. The colorful items in each captivate me and I end up spending much more time than I intend to looking around the fair ground. In a gazebo towards the center of the park, workers are setting up for a band that is scheduled to play later tonight, and on the sidewalk in front, a new guitarist plays a song I've never heard with a jar full of money next to him. I stand and listen for a moment before smiling and putting in a few dollars.

The next thing that catches my eye are these large paintings hanging up in the shade, and I feel drawn over to look at them. They're all beautifully detailed pieces with the subject mainly being of a large house in the springtime. A large flowering tree, a hanging bench surrounded by flowers, and a young boy in an apron, reaching up to the counter to grab at a basket full of tomatoes. Looking closer, I notice that a strange brown curl sticks out of the tops of his head.

"Hey that looks like…"

"Taking a lunch break are we, _ragazza_?" a voice says from behind me. I wheel around to come face to face with the Italian I was just thinking about.

"W-what?"

"I can see your booth from here." He nods his head over to the left, and sure enough, there sat the stand with my paper. _Wait does that mean he's been watching me?_

"Oh…Is this your tent?" I ask as my face heats up from my earlier thought.

"No it's my brother's. He asked me to look after it today because our Grandpa needed him for something."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah, you probably know him. His name's Feliciano Vargas." I stare at him blankly and shake my head.

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"Really?" I nod. "You're the first person I know who hasn't met my brother before me."

"Well remember, I don't really talk to people." The sound of my stomach growling fills the air around us and I silently pray Romano didn't hear it. _How embarrassing._

"Hungry _ragazza_?" He raises an eyebrow and smirks. A blush floods into my cheeks and I look to my shoes.

"The tents are so distracting I guess I forgot to eat."

"Well there's plenty of stands around here to eat from, although I say it's just all shit that's bad for you."

"Well it might be the only thing." I mumble.

"Why's that?" he snorts, "You've got the whole downtown of Lovell to find food in. I don't think anyone's going to miss you at your booth. It's been pretty dead today."

"Yeah, but I…uh…" I stumble to find the right words. _How do I put this so I don't sound stupid?_

"But what? Spit it out _ragazza_."

"I haven't really ever been downtown." I tell him and glance up at his face. Romano stares at me as if I just grew an arm out my ear.

"You haven't?" He runs a hand through his thick chocolate hair and I give a slight nod. "What the hell have you been doing with your life?"

"Apparently nothing." I've been downtown a few times in the past year, but it was mainly for picking up my mother's dry cleaning when she was out of town on important business. Other than that, I have found no need to make the trip. Our house is on the outskirts along with the grocery store and library, which is where I work.

"Yeah no kidding." Romano walks over to the edge of the tent and begins to untie a tarp that falls down the side. When he's finished with one side, he looks at me. "Well come on, help me close the tent down."

"Why?" I ask and untie the next tarp.

"Because you need to eat food and obviously can't navigate around town by yourself."

"You don't have to-"

"Ah ah ah." he says, "I'm gonna find you the best fucking restaurant you've ever eaten at." For an odd reason his tone makes me burst out laughing and he mumbles something under his breath, the tips of his ears going pink from embarrassment.

"Won't your brother mind you closing early?" I question when we finish.

"Nope." he says without missing a beat. "Now let's go."

We walk away from the large fair and into the streets of the small city, with Romano leading. He was right about me getting lost here, considering all the twists and turns we've taken. And all just to find me food. _I wonder why he even bothered anyway._ It's not like I would have really minded the food at the fair or trying to find something downtown, because it's the perfect day to be outside. Not a cloud to be seen in the sky, and the temperature has dropped from yesterday so you can move without sweating buckets.

"So what are you hungry for _ragazza_?" Romano stops suddenly and I almost bump into him. I tear my eyes away from the shops I've never seen before to look up to him. His face reads as impatient.

"I don't know. A sandwich?"

"Well that narrows down our selection by none." he says sarcastically. "Come on." I follow him around a couple more corners and down two more streets before we come across an avenue that is filled with restaurants. My eyes widen as I peak at every sign, determining if it has good food depending on the name. We come across a small pizza place called _Vargas Pizzeria_ and I stop, smelling the aroma.

"Hey Romano, does your family own this place?"

"Yeah my Grandpa bought it when I was younger. They make really great pizza, but don't ever go there Monday through Friday, from 6pm to 10pm."

"Why's that?"

"The staff sucks at that time."

"Oh I'm sure they aren't _that_ bad." I say, catching on to his hints. _So now I know where he works._

"Trust me, you'll hear a lot of swearing. But we aren't eating there now so keep walking." Grabbing my wrist, he pulls me away from the wonderful smelling food and farther down the street. My face gets hot as I try to ignore the fact that I'm almost holding hands with a cute Italian.

"D-do you guys deliver?" I stutter.

"Yeah, but it's pretty annoying cause I have to be the one to do it. My brother is terrible at reading maps."

"Hmm. I might order from there sometime." I joke and he rolls his eyes.

Romano ends up choosing a café on the corner of the street for us to eat at. It's small, but it creates a warm feel to it with its soft brown walls and fresh coffee smell. There are only tables, no booths, scattered around the room with green plastic chairs to sit in. A black stage is built into the back wall where a mic stand and an old piano sit under draped curtains. We order at the counter in the front, and I end up getting an iced tea and their ham sandwich special. As I'm reaching into my bag to grab my wallet, Romano pulls out money for both of us and sets it on the counter.

"Oh no, I can't have you pay for that."

"It's no big deal." He shrugs and the cashier hands him the change. We wait next to the sign that reads _pick up here_ for our food.

"Now I own you even more."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well I still owe you 98 more free visits…" My voice trails off at the end. "So actually, I should just give you the money back since tomorrow is the last day of the fair, and I doubt you'll come back 98 more times."

"You're still thinking about that stupid dollar?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "_Ragazza_, I told you that it's no big deal."

"But why?" I push, "Why is it 'no big deal' to spend money on someone you barely know?"

He opens his mouth to say something, but then it shuts. It takes him a moment to ponder his thoughts before finally replying, "I don't know."

"You don't _know_?"

"Yeah, I mean um…" He rubs the back of his neck while searching for the right words. "You seem…really nice and everything, and kind of different from other people."

"That's because I don't _talk_ to other people." I mumble. "So are you saying you want to be friends?" Romano's eyes widen and his face becomes completely red.

"No." he says harshly, "I mean…yeah. Sure. Fine. Whatever." Turning away from me, he leans onto the counter and watches the workers prepare our food. I don't try to continue the conversation. Instead, I stare blankly at Romano's face, trying to figure out if that was really a "yes". _What just happened? Did I make a friend?_

By the time our food is ready, I'm completely famished. We choose a table that is up against a large glass window that practically takes up the entire wall. I unwrap the plastic that conceals my sandwich in a hurry and take a bite. My taste buds explode with their signature sandwich sauce and I sigh happily. _He sure knows how to pick a place to eat._ Glancing up, I see that Romano is staring out the window with his dark eyes distant and swimming deeply with thoughts. His head tilts as he takes a bite from the sandwich in his hand, making the layers of hair shift, showing off their natural highlights. My eyes travel back to his and I watch them as he chews. They flicker to mine for a moment and he swallows before speaking.

"You know, you really need to work on the whole staring thing." he says.

"And you should work on your swearing." I shoot back and Romano shrugs.

"Fair enough _ragazza_." He takes another bite and goes to look out the window again.

"Hey why do you call me _ragazza_? Does it mean something specific?" Romano raises an eyebrow at me like I should know what it translates to.

"It just means girl." he brushes off my question. "Google could have told you that. But don't ever trust a website to teach you Italian. It's an insult to my language."

His comment makes me laugh. "Too bad they don't teach it in our school. It's probably much better than French, Spanish, or German."

"_Ragazza_, don't even get me started on the terrible shit that _is_ the German language. I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate it, and the people suck pretty badly too. They all think they're just soooo tough and can do anything. But let me tell you something, Italians are far better than anyone around…" Romano's rant continues on as he gets more and more worked up, moving his hand around with enthusiasm to prove his point. All I do is listen, trying not to giggle at his ridiculous and biased argument. "Germans are just stupid." he concludes with a huff, crossing his arms.

"Wow." Is all I say at first, "You sure do have a strong opinion on them."

"Well of course I do." He flashes me a look as if to say, _you should have known that already._

Raising an eyebrow questioningly, I ask him, "Care to explain why?" The Italian exhales loudly as he leans back into the chair.

"I have my reasons. And those stupid potato bastards at our school makes it all worse." he grumbles, and I rack my brain to remember what Germans we have at our school. The only on I can think of is Ludwig, who was in my math class last year. Sure he was a little uptight and his words would sometimes come out harsh when I asked him a question, but he's not a bad guy.

"There are two? I've met Ludwig but–"

"Ah yes, potato bastard number one." he cuts me off, "He always hangs out with Feli. Then there's the obnoxious older brother who graduated two years ago. Gilbert Beilschmidt."

I shake my head. "Never met him."

"Good. You should never want to."

Our conversation continues on for probably another hour, discussing thoughts on other students at our school. It turns out we both agree that Alfred Jones is much too loud for his own good, and Ivan is definitely plotting to take over the world in the near future. Also, the two of us are both excited to graduate next year and head off to college where we can start living our own lives.

"So _ragazza_," Romano starts when we finally throw away our trash and head out the door into the sunlight, "Did you like the food?"

Looking him straight in the eye, I reply to him in the most monotone voice I can manage. "It was the best fucking restaurant I've ever eaten at." A grin breaks onto my lips, not being able to stay serious for long, and I catch a glimpse of a smirk from him.

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_Change due: 97 cents_


	5. Chapter 5

**note: Hello everyone! It's finally summer for me, so that means I can write all the fanfic I want to with no distractions yay! Sorry that this chapter may be a little short, and Marley could be coming off as a Mary-Sue, but I hope to fix that in the next chapter. So, enjoy this one, and I will be starting on the next (after my headache goes away :( poor me)**

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**Romano**

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

The clock on my nightstand rips me from my sleep with its obnoxious alarm tone. Rolling over with a groan, my hand smacks the top of it a few times before hitting the targeted off-button. _I am so not ready to get up. Another hour of sleep can't hurt._ A long sigh escapes my lips as the silence of the house swallows me and my eyes flutter shut, ready to go back to dream-land.

_Wait…the house is silent?_ Shoving the covers off my body, I pull myself out of bed with a grunt and stumble over to the doorway. I slowly peak my head out just enough to glance down the long hallway into Antonio's bedroom, detecting no movement with my squinting eyes. _So far so good_.

I ended up getting home extremely late last night due to my brother's stupidity while working at the Pizzeria. He managed to spill a whole jar of newly made tomato sauce all over the back wall in the kitchen just a few minutes before I could clock out. So not only did I have to scrub the place down till it was sparkling, but Grandpa had me make another batch of sauce without Feli helping at all. By the time the job was done, it was almost 11pm, and I probably didn't actually lay down for bed until one o'clock.

Technically, I should be thanking my brother for keeping later than normal. I was able to avoid Antonio's interrogation on my whereabouts yesterday, and I plan to keep dodging him for as long as possible. This is the reason why I'm currently tiptoeing down the stairs instead of my usual feet-dragging.

Convinced that Antonio is completely gone from the area, I make my way to the kitchen where the coffee machine is waiting for me, already done brewing for the morning. I lean against the granite counter, taking my time to finish off a mug full of the warm beverage. The stiffness of sleep finally leaves my body, and I can feel my brain waking up with the burst of caffeine as I slip on some clothes for the day. Just as I'm about to walk out, I hear the screen door open behind me.

"Hey Romano. Where are you off to?" Antonio's voice rings. _Damn._ I turn my head until he's in my field of vision. A basket of fleshly picked tomatoes rests at his hip.

"Nowhere."

He chuckles. "You're going to see that _chica_ aren't you? Francis said he saw you with her yesterday." _Dammit again._

"So you guys dating yet or what?" He wiggles his eyebrows seductively.

"No we aren't dating you creep! I don't think of her that way! I j-just uh…" my voice trails off. _Why do I talk to her?_ "I just like Marley's company ok? She's much better to talk to than you."

Antonio puts his free hand over his heart. "Romano, I'm wounded from that comment."

"Yeah? Well that's what I was going for." With that, I'm out the door in seconds, not bothering to steal Antonio's car for the day. I whip out my sunglasses and put them on as I walk down the driveway, listening to the birds chirping around me. _At least the weather is nice today._

-xxx-

"You know, I already saw all of this yesterday when I took my lunch break." Marley states beside me as we follow the slow-moving crowd of people.

"Well I haven't gotten the chance to see everything yet, _ragazza_."

"You've been here for the past three days, and you didn't bother to look at the tents?" I glance at Marley to see disbelief cross her face.

"Yep." I answer, "I was a little distracted by someone." Luckily, the last part comes out as a mumble and she doesn't hear me over everyone else's conversations.

When I first arrived here, Marley wasn't up for walking around. She still felt guilty from abandoning her booth yesterday for longer than she intended. But after using my superior persuasion skills, I was able to convince her that the only customers she'll get are whiney girls who want to complain about their boyfriends. Her eyes went wide, and I've never seen someone jump out of a chair faster. Just thinking about it now makes me want to smile.

"Hello? Earth to Romano!" Marley's hand waves in front of my face, and I blink out of my daze.

"W-what?"

She chuckles and says, "I asked if there was anything you are searching for in particular."

"Nah, just roaming." I claim, sweeping past her into the cool shade of the first stall my eyes spot. This one happens to be run by a _ragazza_, and it takes a few moments for her to notice my presence. When our eyes meet, she immediately looks down and flushes.

"_Ciao bella._" A smirk tugs at my lips.

"H-hello." she barely stutters out. "Can I h-help you with anything?" I can feel her eyes on me as I stroll through the tent, looking at the stunning hand-made scarves that shift in the breeze. The stitching is very complex. Someone with an incredible eye for detail and nimble hands must have worked for hours on each one. They remind me of the scarves my Grandmother used to wear, and I can almost picture her sitting in the old rocking chair on the porch. Pinching the fabric between my fingers, I turn back to the girl.

"These are magnificent. Did you make them?"

"Uh…no my mom did. But she's been teaching me so that I can make them too."

"Ah well tell her that she has quite a talent, _bella_. Perhaps I'll be back." Winking, I turn and glide out to Marley's side where she stares at me with a puzzled look. "Shall we continue?"

"Excuse me, but what was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't think you were the flirty type."

"I'm always nice to women." I say with a shrug.

"Nice?" she snorts, "That girl's face was about to burst into flame! And you weren't polite towards me like that when we first met…let alone call me _bella_." Her eyes travel downward to her feet as the last sentence leaves her mouth.

"Hm? _Mi dispiace_,_ ragazza_. You caught me on a very bad day."

"Obviously." Marley replies without looking at me. _Dammit, is she upset about the bella thing?_ I honestly thought to start calling her _bella_ after we met, but I felt that it was too awkward since I've been hanging around so much. It's not that she _isn't_ pretty. Hell, she's gorgeous. But if I start calling her _bella_ now, she won't think I mean it. _I fucked up._

"What was making you so grumpy when we met?"

"I'd rather not say at the moment, _ragazza_. Let's just try to enjoy today." Luckily, she drops the subject and keeps walking, one step in front of me.

An awkward silence settles between us as we file through the fair ground, pausing occasionally to let a group of people cross our path. I can't help but sneak a few glances Marley's way, watching her face light up in wonder and curiosity as we pass by a cluster of wood carvings. A smile tugs at her lips when her eyes flicker up to catch mine.

"Hey, I bet I can pop more balloons than you." she claims, pointing over to where the carnival games are set up, her eyes set on a dart game.

"You know those things are stupid and rigged right? No matter how hard you try–"

"So what? I'm positive I can still beat you." Marley grabs my arm and steers me over to the stand, handing the man running it some money. I dig out my wallet and follow suit.

"Loser buys lunch." I state as the man explains the rules. Four darts each. If you hit three, you get a small prize. If you hit four, you get a large prize. Other than that, you get nothing. _Easy enough._

"You first." Nodding, I take my stance and throw the first dart which misses a balloon by an inch. The next one lands closer, but doesn't pop it. _Come on, let me at least hit one._ Someone must have heard my wish, because the last two darts hit the board with force, taking two neon balloons with it.

"Okay _ragazza_. You're turn."

"Not bad. But I can beat that." Marley smirks and closes one eye to aim, tongue poking out between her lips with concentration. Her stance shifts to one foot when she throws, and pierces a balloon right in the middle. Giving a small squeak of excitement, Marley quickly launches the next two which also pop balloons. When the last one misses, she turns to me, full of pride. "Ha! I got three."

"Damn _ragazza_, isn't the guy supposed to win stuff for the girl?" The words pour out of my mouth before I have a chance to think them through. Marley turns a dark shade of crimson as the man hands her a small teddy bear for her prize. _I'm going to slap myself._ "I mean uh…we aren't on a date or anything so I guess it's ok." I rub the back of my neck nervously, searching for an escape.

"So just because this isn't a date, you lost?" She pokes my side playfully.

"Psh. I let you win." I lie.

"Oh did you now?"

"Yeah. I can totally beat your ass at shooting hoops, _ragazza_."

"Is that a challenge, pizza boy? Bring it on!"

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_Change due: 96 cents_


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